Jumping Good Time - Day 135

It was a rainy mess today so we took LSP to the local mall where they have this hugs play area set up in one of the old stores.  There are FIVE jumpy castles, some very elaborate with slides and tunnels.  There are also toys and toddler sized slides and things to climb on.  LSP totally loved it, racing around like a little nut an laughing.  It was so cute.  She has developed this infectious little giggle, giggling like crazy over the smallest things.  Kids are great!

Yes, that is as steep as it looks, and little Monkey-girl climbed right up!

Down the BIG slide!

She's doing such a good job with her spoon!

Well, sometimes you still need some extra help!

Calm - Day 134

After two days of fairs and fun today was a low-key day for LSP.  She did some watercolor painting this morning with Nana and played outside with Grampy and inside with Mommy this afternoon.  Tonight Nanny and Great Aunt A came for a visit.  What a nice, quiet day.

Apparently it was a put-things-on-your-head day.

Do you like my hat?  "It fits!" she said.

Even Shiloh wanted to play with Nanny and Aunt A.

Monkey Mania - Day 133

Big day!  A small amusement park around here features a narrow-gauge railroad and kiddie rides and things geared toward real small kids.  We took LSP there today because.... it was Curious George day!  I was afraid she would be afraid of the 5-foot-tall George, but she wasn't at all.  As soon as she saw him her eyes got huge and she got so excited - "It's George!  It's George!"  She kept waving to him and yelling, "Hi George!"

She really enjoyed the rest of the park too, riding some of the rides, taking a spin on the train and playing on the things they had to climb on.  It was cold and windy today but that sure didn't stop her!  On the way home she fell asleep briefly and woke up when we were almost back.  "Let's go tell Grampy what you did today," I told her.  From the backseat I heard an awed whisper, "I saw George."

She used to wear footie type pajamas all the time, but she grew out of all of her pairs and has been wearing 2-piece PJs that don't have feet.  Today we washed up some new clothes, including some winter footie pajamas.  I put them on her and set her on the floor.  She grabbed her feet and gave and anguished cry, "What's wrong?"  I asked thinking she was in pain.  She clutched the leg of her pajamas, "Where's the foot hole?!?"  she wailed. 

Man of the hour.

This turtle ride was the biggest hit.

This is her "Blue Steel" face.

Bustin' a move in front of the TV.

Keys - Day 132

LSP's very favorite thing to do at Nana and Grampy's house is wander around outside with Grampy and explore.  Today was a gathering acorns and handing them to Grampy.  There are approximately 27 million of them in the driveway and she wanted to pick up all of them.  She asked Grampy what was inside one so he opened it up for her to see.  "Yucky!"  she declared.  "It's what squirrels eat," he told her.  She thought for awhile about that one.  "Squirrels eat yucky," she said. 

This afternoon we took her to a small local "October Fair."  She got to ride a swinging Viking ship ride that scared mommy more than it did her, and jump in a jumpy castle.  As we went to leave I discovered I had lost the car keys.  Frantic searching all over the fairgrounds yielded nothing.  Eventually Grampy discovered them in the stroller where they had fallen out of my coat pocket.  I'm blaming this one on jet lag. 

Doin' the happy dance when she sees the dogs.

Fun to play in Grampy's truck!

She had face painting done for the first time - a blue star.  She loved it!

Raining - Day 131

We got up early.  Very early.  Jet-lag, oh joy.  We did get to nap later, so that was nice.  Then we went to the grocery store where LSP took one look and happily declared, "Commissary!"  She's an Army kid.  After that we went to the library and looked at books and played.  A good rainy day activity.  Tonight Grampy and Nana got back from their trip and LSP was so happy to see them she jumped up and down and clapped her hands.  Then she promptly go super-shy with them, probably, as Nana pointed out, "punishing" them for not being there when we arrived.

The library had a Curious George puzzle!  How cool is THAT?!?

"Toe paining" with Uncle Mike.

Naptime.

Flying Again - Day 130

Yet another trip to the airport...yet another trans-Atlantic flight.  Getting to the airport and through the airport was smoother than expected... and so we arrived at the gate a full 2 1/2 hours before our flight left!  LSP took advantage of the empty area and ran all over the place playing.,  Perfect way to release some energy before the long plane ride.

I had already seen all the things worth watching on the in-flight entertainment, but that was OK, because I got to watch the woman two seats away who, between her terror over every little bump and her drama over her special-meal selection was more entertainment than any movie on a tiny seat back screen.   Did I mention that she looked and sounded just like Rosie O'Donnell?  If Rosie O'Donnell was six feet tall.

I found a great way to get through passport control, though.  If the line is forever long, out into the hallway in fact, just be sure to have an exhausted, screaming, screaming toddler in a stroller.  Everyone urges you to cut the line.  In fact, someone started up a yell, "Let her through!  Let her through!"  and people let us cut all the way to the very front.  Worked like a charm.

On the outside Uncle M and Aunt L were waiting.  What a joy and relief to see them!

Oh good!  She fits as carry-on luggage.